Thimble and Thrift - a Lesson in Following Your Passions

I found out about Thimble and Thrift a couple of weeks ago when a friend of mine and I had a stall at the local Christmas market and I absolutely fell in love with her quirky little items. I managed to get in touch with her and ask a few questions about her and her work.




Please introduce yourself and your work.

I am Fee Fraser and I use my sewing machine to draw. I create quirky and amusing (hopefully!) pieces to make you smile!

When did you start making art, and at what point did you realise that you wanted to do this for a living?

I have been selling for 5 years, and making for...50+! I was brought up by a mum who thought there was too much to do in the world to ever get bored...she was creative and imaginative and I guess some of it rubbed off!
I created 50 pieces of work as a project and the deadline was the Surrey Artist Open studio event (great to visit if you are training as an artist in surrey - Artists across the county open their studios to the public so that visitors can see how they work and purchase their art work). It was just for fun, 50 pieces the same size depicting 'My favourite simple pleasures'; picking peas, barefoot on the grass and so on...I never imagined they would sell, but they did! This spurred me on to make more...and sell more!

This is not my 'day job', I am a Hypnotherapist and Reflexologist...I work from home and make between clients.

And how would you describe your working process?

My work has a graphic style but I like the tatty edges.

What would you say inspires your work?

I just get ideas...inspiration is all around. Customers are often inspiration so i like to chat to them and listen to their reactions...people expect a lot for nothing!

What is the weirdest commission you have ever received?

Weirdest commission was from a dutch friend who thought i had meant secret (not simple) pleasure and asked for erm...Smelling my own farts under the duvet!

What would be your advice to a budding artist?

Always do the art for yourself...unless you want to become commercial! Stick to your own gut feelings. Inspiration is everywhere! Just look for it.

I would start sooner...be more confident (I was told at school that i didn't have a creative bone in my body!)

And finally, if you could have lunch with anyone, dead of alive, who would it be and why?

Other than the obvious Johnny Depp? It would have to be a whole dinner party; Victoria Wood and the Two Ronnies for their humour and clever use of words, Darren Brown as we could talk hypnosis, Nick Butterworth as I admire his work and have read his books dozens of times to dozens of children, Audrey Hepburn because I think she would be lovely, and finally my great dad who we lost on my birthday this year, just because there are so many things I never got the chance to ask him - soppy huh!

You can find out more about Thimble and Thrift by visiting their Etsy page or following them on Instagram